Who is the father of Expressionism?

Opinions vary as to which artist is the father of Expressionism. Some historians give the title to Vincent van Gogh because his Post-Impressionist style influenced many of the Expressionists. Other experts credit Wassily Kandinsky as the father of Expressionism as his painting Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) was the source of the name of a group of artists that instilled Expressionism with a search for spiritual truths. Some other important figures in the Expressionist movement include Franz Marc, Paul Klee, August Macke, Edvard Munch Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Find a selection of Expressionist art on 1stDibs.